#Picbod returns No.1

Hectic week. I'm all too aware that this project only lasts 10 weeks and the pressure to get this right first time is, while self inflicted at this point, remains strong. For the first time in 7 months I have decided to use film for this project. Having got used to the ease of processing digital images in software such as Adobe's Lightroom package, handling film and the processing and scanning time seems so inefficient. However I want the highest quality results in printing at the end of this project and the best way i can find to do this on a budget, is to do it myself on fibre based paper.

To limit the stress on the scanners I'm continuing to use my mk 2 5d as much as possible for the supporting images and for week two JW has asked us to focus on 'our own tribe', by this he means people that we know well or personally, family members or close friends. I found week ones task especially difficult as I am one of those photographers who up until very recently had never approached someone on the street to ask them to take their picture. I'm also not a person who shoots his own tribe, I prefer to go un-noticed in the background and to work quietly there. But change is good so I have embraced the task with open arms.

My images of strangers are due to hit the scanners on monday morning, but while I wait for the opportunity to process them I have at hand my week two responses, or at least the first part of them.

Rosie was kind enough to be one of my test subjects for this project. It is a role she has done well for me previously but I have never 'followed through' with my execution in sessions with her before. This image was one of around 90 taken over the space of an hour. The intention was not to work through a series of poses, but to work through a dialogue. The set starts with her eating lunch and ends with this quite blank reaction to the simple question of 'can you think of something you don't want to tell me?' Im really going out of my way to loose my flash dependancy.

Im quite fond of my lighting rigs and use them even when the natural/available light is good enough to ensure proper exposure to all areas. So these experiments where large parts of the capture are under or over-exposed are new to me.

This image isn't quite as crisp as I'd like but it has captured my mother's character quite well (sorry mum).  The only time I was able to make her sit down long enough was well into the evening so this set of images (this is one of 40) was taken quite late at night with a regular lamp for lighting. Again, this was more of an exercise in capturing personality than flattery. I will be taking those highly polished, staged images towards the latter weeks so it was important for me to start raw. My mother hates the camera so this was a new experience for us both. I have previously only managed to ever get one other picture of her, which I have entered into some competitions this year and that only happened because I took it without her knowledge.

Breaking down years of well placed barriers and boundaries to really capture a family member or friend is definitely one of the hardest things I've attempted. I will spend some time this weekend with the Mamiya I have out on loan currently for taking some portraits of longstanding friends. If I can break down these barriers I should be able to get some really nice images. I need to work on my view-finding skills in the next batch of images I take, and start to bring together all the aspects of good light,  comfortable but personal interaction with the model and a professionally executed exposure. I will be working more on all of this over the weekend and will post the results after tuesdays lecture. Until then it's time to hit the books and the internet in search of some inspiration for my final piece and some serious writing to define where I feel I stand in regards to portraiture theory. No sleep for the wicked.....